In the field of mineral exploration, it is strikingly evident that radioactive-bearing mineralization predominantly resides within granitic intrusions and along structural discontinuities. Consequently, the comprehensive mapping of lithological features emerges as a crucial means of accurately guiding the identification of these mineralizations. The present research is dedicated to enhancing the characterization of granitic rocks located within Egypt’s Central Eastern Desert (El-Missikat and El-Erediya regions). These areas have garnered attention due to their notably high concentrations of radioactive mineralizations, prompting the need for a more in-depth investigation. Despite the study area’s importance for potential radioactive mineral deposits, examining the geological map reveals notable challenges and inconveniences. Our research aims to address these issues using remote sensing data and machine learning algorithms (MLAs). We used image processing techniques, including FCCs, PCA, and ICA to identify eight lithological targets and generate reference maps for the study area. The widely used Support Vector Machine (SVM) was trained with informative image combinations, showing reasonable lithological allocations, especially when it fed with FCC 12-6-2 in RGB. Our study found that incorporating dimensionality-reduction techniques like PCA and ICA with false-color images (FCCs) significantly boosted accuracy by over 15%. Using Sentinel-2 imagery and SVM, we created a novel lithological map for the challenging study area, pinpointing mineralization-rich zones, particularly those linked to shear zones within granitic rocks. This map enhances progress in characterizing rock units, and we strongly advocate the use of dimensionality reduction techniques, such as PCA and ICA, to feed machine learning algorithms. These techniques play a crucial role in producing precise, unbiased lithological maps for complex terrains, aiding in the localization of valuable mineral deposits.

The Abu Gaharish mineralization comprises Au-rich NNE-trending quartz veins, and their surrounding shear zone is found hosted within a Neoproterozoic Sn-W-bearing monzogranite pluton and intersects the metavolcano-sedimentary assemblage at its eastern contact. The ore mineralogy consists of pyrite, galena, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and gold, with secondary vanadinite occurring after galena and hematite after pyrite. Paragenesis reveals two generations of pyrite and galena, where gold formed mainly during the early sulfidation stage and mobilized upon later deformation events and incipient recrystallization. Mass balance calculations on the alteration zones reveal that the inputs upon alteration included Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, K₂O, MgO, P₂O₅ W, Rb, Cu, Zn, Pb, V, Cr, Mo, Co, Sn, As, and U, whereas the outputs comprised SiO₂, Na₂O, CaO, MnO, Sr, Ba, Zr, Y, Th, Nb, and Ni, respectively, in decreasing order. The low contents of granitophile elements (such as Mo, Sn, and W) in the quartz veins at Abu Gaharish suggest that the gold-sulfide-quartz veins have no linkage with granitoid intrusion. However, the enrichment of these elements in the proximal alteration zone is attributed to their leaching by hydrothermal fluids from anomalous zones. The fluid inclusion data observed in quartz showcases the existence of CO₂-bearing low-salinity fluids mixed with Mg, Na, and K chlorides under mesothermal conditions during the ore deposition process. This aligns with the formation of orogenic gold deposits as a consequence of the metamorphic devolatilization of the adjacent metavolcano-sedimentary succession. The characteristics of mineralizations at Abu Gaharish display resemblances to orogenic gold deposits and refute the intrusion-related model.

Hamama Zn-Pb-Cu VMS deposits are hosted along the contact of bimodal metavolcanic sequence and their volcaniclastics in association with quartz-carbonate matrix. Ore forming process include multi-stage steps. 3D interpolation of drill hole database shows that the ore body was affected by multidirectional faults and fracture zones, that later were occupied by carbonates. The origin of carbonates is approached using a C and O isotopic compositions in whole-rock samples. The isotopic data revealed signs of both hydrothermal-sedimentary and hydrothermal-metasomatic processes. The primary gold and sulphide minerals were deposited from exhalations, forming massive sulphide ore then the tectonic processes due to the emergence of two successive phases of granitoids followed by the of post-tectonic dykes provided war to the introduction of carbonates that changed the configuration of the ore deposit and affected its grade. Later diagenetic and metasomatic processes resulted in enrichment of gold in the oxidation zone.